Chapter Ten
Edward's morning and afternoon were spent giving interviews for magazines, television and radio, so apart from a brief chat on the telephone in the morning when Edward recounted the confrontation in the bar with Tanya to Bella, they had not seen or spoken to one another all day. Bella took advantage of the spa facilities in the hotel and had a swim, massage and facial, followed by a manicure and pedicure. After a quick trip to the in-house hair salon, where her long, thick chestnut brown hair was trimmed, washed and styled so that it fell in soft curls down her back, she returned to her room for a power-nap to set herself up for the long evening ahead.
Bella dressed herself in the gown Alice had picked out for her, and as she looked back at herself in the full length mirror on the wall, she felt like Cinderella getting ready for the ball. As she slipped on her glass slippers, sorry, the pair of Jimmy Choo's that were Alice's but matched her dress perfectly, her knees felt slightly weak at the thought of what was maybe going to happen after the party.
She allowed herself a little giggle when she realised it was less than a week ago she was a lowly production assistant working in non-descript offices in Queens, admittedly in a glamorous industry, but being totally honest there wasn't that much glamour attached to her job. Now, because of a freak accident less than two years ago, followed by a chance meeting in a New York hotel, she was dressed in a beautiful sapphire-blue gown, her favourite colour, she was in a five-star hotel in London, about to go to a movie premiere, after which she was very much hoping that the superstar fuck-hot leading actor would whisk her away from the after-show party, take her up to his penthouse suite and make love to her all night long. This didn't happen to Cinderella in the fairy-tale as far as she could recall!
Edward had arranged for Bella to be escorted to the premiere by one of his personal guests, as regrettably he would have to travel with Tanya and be alongside her for the first part of the evening. When the time came for Bella to leave the hotel, she picked up her wrap and purse and made her way to the lobby where Edward's friend, Jasper, was waiting for her. As she walked out of the elevator, she heard a whistle of approval and saw a tall, handsome, fair haired man with mischievous blue eyes, getting up from one of the comfy armchairs dotted around the reception area.
"Miss Swan, I presume," said her escort, bowing gallantly in front of her as he took hold of her hand.
"Mr Hale, I presume," Bella replied, curtseying and fluttering her eyelashes like a Southern Belle.
Jasper laughed and looked Bella up and down approvingly.
"I'm betting Tanya might have a bit of competition for Edward's affections tonight," he said knowingly, and gave Bella a playful wink. "I know who I've got my money on."
Bella appreciated the compliment which helped calm her nerves. Consequently she felt instantly at ease and delighted that she was going to be in Jasper's company during the early part of the evening.
Edward had told her on the plane that he had met Jasper at scout camp when he was about twelve years old and they had been close friends ever since. After Edward had walked out of his parents' home just before his eighteenth birthday, he had either lived with his grandmother in Richmond or slept on Jasper's mother's couch when he was between acting jobs.
Jasper had also considered acting as a career but had not pursued it, becoming an English teacher instead, so he performed every day in front of classes of unruly and disinterested teenagers in an Inner-City school, earning a fraction of Edward's salary. But they had remained close, even though they were now from opposite sides of the world in both location and lifestyle. Jasper was the brother Edward never had, and as he was not on speaking terms with his parents, he considered Jasper to be the only family he had left and his only really true friend.
"Your carriage awaits," Jasper joked with a grin, carrying on with the over-the-top performance. They linked arms and made their way out of the hotel to the chauffeur-driven car Edward had arranged for them, unaware they were receiving admiring glances from both staff and guests who had stopped to stare at the glamorous young couple. Bella couldn't help smirking to herself as she walked through the foyer, as she was imagining she was playing Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman, when Richard Gere was taking her to the opera, even though in her case she wasn't a hooker!
After an exciting journey through London, where their car swept past lines of cheering fans who were peering through the windows to see whether they recognised the occupants, they arrived at the theatre well before Edward and Tanya's appearance in Leicester Square. They were escorted into a packed reception area where champagne cocktails were being served to the guests on arrival. Bella spotted Sam and Rachel in the crowd and after struggling through the throng, introduced them to Jasper and they chatted while they waited for the arrival of the stars of the film.
They were hearing reports of what was going on outside in the Square as there were a few thousand people crushed onto the pavements, hoping to catch a glimpse of Edward and Tanya and the other lead actors. It was obvious to those inside when the two stars arrived as they could easily hear the yells and screams, even above the music which was being played in the bar.
Bella could visualize Edward being thrust from one microphone to another, giving interviews to all and sundry whilst trying to compete against the noise of the frantic fans. It was planned that the stars would spend about an hour on the red carpet giving interviews and signing autographs, but after about half an hour Tanya had had enough and burst into the theatre demanding champagne.
Bella made sure she kept her back to Tanya at all times, even though she didn't expect Tanya to recognise her after all this time. Jasper helpfully put his arm around her waist to fend off some interested males who had been hovering nearby, which meant she could relax and enjoy herself. She caught a glimpse of Edward when he finally made it into the theatre, but as soon as he appeared, the less important guests, like her, were invited to take their places in the auditorium to watch the movie. Jasper led Bella to their seats, which were located about ten rows from the front, and she was delighted to see she would be sitting next to Rachel again, which she was sure was Edward's doing.
Bang on cue, the lights came up on the stage in front of the screen and Edward, Tanya, plus some of the other cast members, the director and two producers, appeared to greet the audience and receive their applause. Bella was instantly aware of the lust emanating from the predominately female audience, who almost as one sighed when Edward appeared in his Dior tuxedo; a slight stubble dusting his chiselled jaw line and the sexiest smile which was like a laser beam, melting the hearts and underwear of every person without a 'Y' chromosome in the audience, plus a few with. Tanya had linked her arm through Edward's, but he was totally ignoring her as he was staring directly into the crowd, seeking out Bella's face. When their eyes met, he smiled broadly and nodded to her and Jasper.
The director introduced the movie and Edward also spoke, saying he hoped the audience enjoyed themselves, but to clap anyway if they didn't at the end. This caused a good-hearted laugh, then the stage emptied and the theme music began.
Bella had seen all of Edward's other films, including his early ones where he only had a few scenes. Alice had gone with her to see the first one in this series, just to see whether they had used any of the footage that Bella was in, but they hadn't. Bella had enjoyed the first film though as there was nothing not to like, apart from Tanya. It was a family-friendly romp which wouldn't offend anyone, which was why it had been so successful. However she remembered thinking at the time that Edward would be suited to more dramatic and demanding roles and hoped he wouldn't become type-cast to this genre through only being associated with this franchise.
Edward and Tanya were playing Bonnie and Clyde type partners, but they were con-artists not bank robbers. They would target a gang of criminals who had stolen money or valuables from vulnerable, unsuspecting people and then, using the criminals own greed against them, would con them out of everything they had stolen and then give it back to the victims. They would pocket anything extra they had obtained for themselves so they could fund their glamorous lifestyle. After the sting was over, they would drive off into the sunset looking for their next adventure.
The stories were modelled on a British television series called Hustle which had been an enormous hit around the world, plus ideas blatantly stolen from The 'A' Team. The scripts had been written for two hour big screen 'episodes', but instead of the cons taking place in London like the original series, their escapades took place in locations around North America and the Caribbean islands, or green screens if you were in the know.
Edward and Tanya were portrayed as lovers in the series and as Bella watched with revulsion as Edward gave Tanya a passionate kiss and a quick fumble on screen, she was thanking the Lord God Almighty it was an NC13 film so they couldn't take it much further. Jasper leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Edward deserves an Oscar for making that look believable." Bella giggled at his comment, imagining Edward rushing back to his trailer to shower and gargle for a week after having to do this with Tanya.
The movie received an enthusiastic response and Edward and Tanya stood up to receive the applause from the audience. The locations were fabulous and there had been plenty of ooh's and ah's and laughs in all the right places. Even though it would never win an Oscar for its script, the producers were confident they had another enormous hit on their hands and their backers would be smiling all the way to the bank.
After the main guests had left the theatre, Bella linked her arm in Jasper's as they made their way out to the line of waiting cars which were taking guests to the after-show party. Jasper had been sworn to secrecy as to where the venue was, so Bella was quite excited to find out where they were going. Edward and Tanya had been in the first group of cars to leave and it was quite a long wait before their allocated car appeared to whisk them away from Leicester Square.
Bella's knowledge of London was quite limited, but she caught on quickly their car was heading towards the oldest part of the City which was away from the West End. They were soon driving alongside the ancient walls of the Tower of London when in front of them appeared the world famous view of Tower Bridge, lit up beautifully against the night sky in blues and yellows, but this time she was seeing it in real life rather than on a picture postcard. As they drove onto the bridge, Bella gazed up at the massive suspension cables holding up the road which stretched across the Thames to the South Bank. She was expecting their car to drive from one side to the other, but it immediately pulled over to the curb and stopped beside one of the beautifully lit towers. Straight away liveried doormen were opening the car door and offering to help them from their seats, then escorting them to the elevators which would whisk them upwards to the glittering walkways located high above the road and the river below.
The venue was sensational. Small round tables covered with crisp white tablecloths were dotted at various points down the narrow enclosed walkways, creating a weaving slalom for the guests to meander through. The tables were piled high with canapés and other delicious looking treats, and smiling waiters balancing silver trays were serving champagne or soft drinks to the guests, the majority of whom however were transfixed by the amazing view of London which was attainable from this spectacular and rarely available vantage point. Even though she didn't like heights, Bella couldn't resist peering through the windows so she could see inside the fortress walls of the Tower of London and the illuminated lawn where Ann Boleyn lost her head, then past the Bloody Tower and outer walls and onwards to the City of London, where billions of pounds, dollars and other currencies exchanged hands every day and where occasionally market traders would lose their heads and everything else besides.
Bella was trying to spot Edward over the top of the much taller guests who were surrounding her, but she guessed he was at the far end of the walkway where there seemed to be the densest collection of people. She knew she needed to be patient and she allowed herself a superior smile at the thought that at the end of the evening she was going to have him all to herself. She felt her muscles clench in places where she didn't realize she had muscles and recognised that her body was anticipating the intimacy of his touch and the feel of him inside her. Her knees wobbled slightly and she clutched Jasper on the arm to steady herself.
Jasper glanced down at her and noticed that her cheeks were slightly flushed. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
Bella nodded. "I'm fine Jasper; not too good with heights though." She put her wine glass on a table and whispered she needed to find the ladies room to freshen up. Jasper spotted a sign near to the elevators so Bella headed off in that direction on her own.
There were two other ladies in the restroom when she got there and they smiled pleasantly at her before she disappeared into one of the stalls. She heard them leave and was then aware that the external door had opened again and two or three younger-sounding women had come in and were reapplying their make-up.
"Tanya Denali is going to go ape-shit when she finds out," one of the anonymous girls said to the other.
"You can tell it's him in the picture," the other girl replied. "All you can see is a guy that's definitely Edward, with his tongue down the throat of some lucky bitch."
There was a ripple of laughter, then a moment of silence when lipstick or mascara was being applied and full concentration was obviously required.
Bella was listening intently from her stall, wondering what picture they had seen, where it had been taken and more importantly, whether it was her.
Who the hell is she?" one of the other girls asked.
As if the girl who was obviously in the know was reading her thoughts, she answered Bella's questions.
"I don't fucking know! An American tourist took a photo of a random couple kissing on the South Bank last night as she thought it was romantic. You know, couple kissing, St Paul's Cathedral in the background, a bit like the photo of the Sailor in New York. Apparently, it was only when she looked at the picture closely that she realized it was Edward fucking Cullen, and posted the picture on Twitter about an hour ago with the hilarious hashtag, #wherethefuckisTanyahaha."
Bella clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from shrieking. The girls were all laughing in anticipation of the fall-out from this and were hoping it would happen this evening, as the bust-up would certainly be worth waiting around for.
Bella stayed out of sight until she was convinced the girls were gone and then ventured cautiously out of the stall, making absolutely certain the coast was clear just in case she was recognized. She looked in the mirror at her shocked face and then turned on the tap, feeling the sudden urge to plunge her head under the water to cleanse her brain of the horrific thought that there was every possibility all hell may be breaking loose on the other side of the restroom door at this very moment.
She dried her hands and cracked the door open to listen to the tone of the general chit-chat of the guests. Thankfully she heard no raised voices, yet, so she slipped out with her head down for anonymity until she was in the middle of the crowd, on a mission to find Jasper to ask him to take her back to the hotel pretty damn quick.
She spotted his tousled fair hair poking above the crowd and squeezed herself through the crush to get to him.
"Get me out of here fast." she said to the bewildered young man, then grabbed his hand and started heading towards the exit, just as Edward appeared in front of her blocking her escape route.
"What's happened?" he asked, and a concerned frown appeared on his forehead. "Why are you leaving so soon?"
"There's a picture on Twitter of the two of us kissing on the South Bank last night," Bella hissed in his ear. "I've just heard some girls talking about it in the ladies room!"
"Holy fuck!" Edward exclaimed running his hand through his hair and gripping a handful. Bella by now recognised this was a sign Edward was stressed and she hated that she had been the one to have to break the news to him.
"Can they see it's you?" he spluttered, thinking quickly about the implications for this evening if Tanya found out it was Bella in the photograph and that she was here. Even though they both wanted revenge after what Tanya had done to her, it was important that this evening went as smoothly as possible for the sake of the movie and for everyone associated with it. The revenge part could come later.
"Apparently not," Bella replied and Edward sighed in relief.
"I don't want you to go yet," Edward pleaded and then turned to Jasper and asked him to look after her for a while longer until he could get away. Bella moved nearer to the elevator, ready to be the first to jump in when the shit eventually hit the fan. Jasper once again helpfully put his arm around her waist to give the impression to the other guests that they were a couple.
In the meantime, Edward made his way over to James and told him he would only be staying another ten minutes or so as he had accidentally eaten some anchovies on one of the canapés and he had suffered an allergic reaction to them in the past. He had some anti-histamine tablets back in his room so he was going to say his goodbyes and leave. James had to reluctantly accept this story as the last thing he wanted was his star to start swelling up, vomiting or hallucinating in front of the other guests.
Edward nodded to Jasper, who he could see was standing by the exit, and watched as he escorted Bella to the elevator which would take them down to the ground floor. Once there, Jasper asked for Edward's car to be called and he waited with Bella until Edward appeared looking slightly anxious. The three of them walked out into the cool London night and waited by the roadside until a black limousine pulled up at the kerb. Jasper hung back as Edward and Bella climbed into the back.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Edward called out, beckoning Jasper to join them.
"Nah," he replied with a grin. "It's your night, you lucky bastard; enjoy."
Edward smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks, Jasper. Thanks for everything tonight. I'll be in touch before we go back to the States."
The car door closed and Edward and Bella were swept off into the night, on the way back to the hotel and the privacy and comfort of Edward's suite.